The Denver Police Spy Files

For years, the Denver Police Department kept files on many individuals and groups. These have been popularly referred to as the "spy files". In 2002, they planned to purge many of these files as being inappropriate for them to have gathered, but those who might be in them were allowed to request a copy of their file, using instructions on the Web. A notable omission on the forms they provided was there was no space for an address to send the file to.

From the newspaper (sometime in 2002):

"Earlier this year, it was revealed that police over the years had collected information on peaceful demonstrators and protesters as well as criminal suspects. The practice came to light after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit, claiming the spy files violated people's civil rights.

City officials conceded that police went too far in investigating peaceful protesters. Mayor Wellington Webb appointed a three-judge panel to examine police intelligence gathering and make recommendations. Among them: subjects of the files should get to see the information collected on them.

At least 240 people have requested to see if they have files."

I requested my file, and twice was told I was not in their files. Later I received copies of a file requested by Colorado Right to Life, which named me several times in the 25 pages the police provided. (I had been the State President of the organization and a Rally speaker.)

Here are copies of the correspondence and some relevant pages from the spy files:

[First letter from Denver Police saying I'm not in their spy files.]
First letter from Denver Police saying I'm not in their spy files.

[Second letter from Denver Police saying I'm not in their spy files.]
Second letter from Denver Police saying I'm not in their spy files.

[One of the spy files pages that lists me by name]
One of the spy files pages that lists me by name.

[Another of the spy files pages that lists me by name]
Another of the spy files pages that lists me by name.